The Beijing Auto Show Returns with a Focus on Brand Bosses Turned Internet Celebrities
The Beijing Auto Show made a triumphant return after a four-year absence, showcasing a record-breaking 278 new energy models and 117 global premieres. However, the real stars of the show were not the cars themselves, but the bosses of the car companies.
From Lei Jun being photographed everywhere he went to Wang Chuanfu arriving at the show by subway, and Zhou Hongyi sitting on the roof of a car in red, the bosses of car companies stole the spotlight. They utilized their own personal brand and traffic to generate buzz and attention for their respective companies.
This shift towards car company bosses becoming internet celebrities is a reflection of the changing landscape of the automobile industry. With traditional marketing methods becoming less effective, these bosses have found success in leveraging their personal brands to gain attention and save costs on traditional advertising.
However, as with any trend, there are winners and losers. Lei Jun and Zhou Hongyi dominated the attention at the auto show, leaving other car companies scrambling to compete for traffic. This new focus on boss-driven marketing has created a sense of traffic anxiety among industry players.
The recent incident involving Huawei’s M7 car accident outside the auto show serves as a reminder of the potential negative impact of excessive publicity. Balancing the need for attention with maintaining consumer trust and safety is a challenge that car companies must navigate in this new era of boss-driven marketing.
As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how car company bosses adapt to this new role as internet celebrities and how they balance the need for attention with the responsibility of promoting safe and reliable vehicles to consumers.